NASA captured an astonishing video of Hurricane Irma from space. Soon after the National Hurricane Center upgraded Irma to a Category 5 storm , the International Space Station’s external cameras caught what NASA described as a dramatic view of the hurricane . Irma has already smashed records – meteorologist Philip Klotzbach said on Twitter earlier this morning Irma has broken the Atlantic record previously held by 1980’s Hurricane Allen for Accumulated Cyclone Energy produced during 24 hours. Hurricane Irma is currently moving over Caribbean islands, and looks to be en route to Florida with winds reaching up to 185 miles per hour. As the International Space Station orbited the Earth, the station’s cameras shot the hurricane from multiple angles, showing how truly massive it is. According to weather forecaster Liam Dutton , Hurricane Irma is so large it would cover both Ireland and the United Kingdom. Related: Category 5 Hurricane Irma is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever Most of the people on Antigua and Barbuda lost power, and in Antigua around 1,000 people spent the night in shelters, according to ABS TV and Radio director of news Garfield Burford. He said the winds posed a major threat, and that a few rooftops had already blown away. Around 1,600 people reside on Barbuda, where the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over. Irma – des images de Saint Barth @ParisMatch pic.twitter.com/KhbYgMr6ha — Pauline Lallement (@pau_lallement) September 6, 2017 The hurricane also hit Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, causing blackouts and flooding . French Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin was quoted by AFP as saying Hurricane Irma has resulted in major damage on multiple Caribbean islands. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters of Saint Martin, “We know that the four most solid buildings on the island have been destroyed which means that more rustic structures have probably been completely or partially destroyed.” Image d'un hôtel à #StMartin après le passage #IRMA #ouraganIRMA via @guadeloupe_1ere pic.twitter.com/im6ORYro8m — La1ere.fr (@la1ere) September 6, 2017 According to The Guardian, Tropical Storm Jose, which is the weather system following Hurricane Irma, is forecast to turn into a hurricane by tonight. Via Reuters , The Guardian , and NASA Images via screenshot and screenshot
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Hurricane Irma as seen from the International Space Station
